1. The present invention relates to the field of animation control recording and playback systems.
2. Prior Art.
When a doll or other character comes forth with a voice or other sound generated by a tape playback unit, mechanical mechanism or other device, the impression is left that the doll or other character has generated the voice or other sound by a tape playback unit, mechanical unit or other device. If the sound generated is coupled with some form of motion, the impression is improved. Still further improvement results from the synchronization of the motion with the sound, with multichannel synchronized proportional control of various facial and/or body motions, whether with one or more than one animated character, potentially providing life-like appeal. Various attempts have been made to achieve life-like animation of one or more characteristics of the living character, as exemplified by the following prior art.
In U. S. Pat. No. 3,131,497 entitled "Animated Talking Figures", an animated bird is disclosed which is controlled either by a single track tape machine or a dual track tape machine located distant to the animated bird. One track of the dual track machine provides the "voice" track of the system, with the other track providing an on/off control which controls the opening and closing of the beak, and the simultaneous motion of the tail of the animated bird between a tail up and tail down position. Since real birds tend to move with relatively jerky motions between very fixed positions, the effect of the animation of a bird achievable by this system is reasonable. The same general approach however, is not suitable for the animation of mammal-like characters, as the lack of proportional control and additional independent animated elements is inappropriate for such use.
The foregoing general technique is improved in U. S. Pat. No. 3,246,409 entitled "Animated Figure" wherein a bird-like animated figure is disclosed. In accordance with this patent, a dual track tape reproduction system is used to provide an audio signal, and by amplitude detection, a beak control. On a second track a frequency multiplexed signal comprising any combination of five nonharmonic frequencies is provided, the presence or absence of any one of which will control the turning of the head to the left or to the right, body tilt, head tilt or chest expansion of the animated bird, all on an on/off basis. Given the nature of real birds as commented on before, the simulation of reality achievable by this technique is undoubtedly very good, though again the lack of proportional control imposes substantial limitations on the use of this method in creating animation simulating mammal-like characteristics such as mouth motion associated with ordinary speech, singing, etc.
One other general class of animation control system should be described herein, as it is relevant not so much to the control of an animated character by prerecorded voice and animation control signals, but rather because of its generation of signals having a similar purpose from the audio track itself. In particular, reference is made to U. S. Pat. No. 4,177,589. This patent discloses the movement of artificially animated three-dimensional figures and especially the simulation of human facial expressions in three-dimensional facial figures utilizing proportional control by frequency discrimination from the audio signal to control pneumatic servos effecting the life-like distortion of a flexible face made of a material such as polyvinyl chloride plastic
Other devices of these and other types include those disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,250,916, 2,700,250, 2,704,417, 2,867,049, 3,162,980, 3,292,610, 3,469,039, 3,568,336, 3,570,178, 3,912,694, 4,107,462, 4,207,704, 4,267,551, 4,272,915